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Electronic Documents Working Group (A GPO – Depository Community Project)

Members and Agency Assignments - Additional Volunteers Needed

Reference Materials

Purpose

The purpose of the Electronic Documents Working Group is for LPS to work with volunteer librarians, who will identify and evaluate fugitive electronic publications for inclusion in the FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC).

LPS welcomes additional volunteers. Two or more volunteers can monitor the same agency. Some current volunteers are monitoring large agencies. If you would like to volunteer to monitor the same agency, or one of another volunteers' subagencies, please contact that volunteer.

NOTE: Anyone who discovers what they consider to be a fugitive FDLP electronic publication may submit that information to GPO via lostdocs@gpo.gov. The information will then be forwarded to the appropriate Electronic Documents Working Group volunteer. Or, anyone can forward that information directly to the appropriate volunteer.

Background

In its Fall 2000 Recommendations to the Public Printer, the Depository Library Council recommended that "GPO establish a working group for the purpose of tracking selected agency Web sites for online-only government publications, determine the scope of agency online publishing, recommend priorities for inclusion in the FDLP, and examine other issues as identified by the working group."

Volunteer members of the depository community will assist GPO in its efforts to bring online documents into the FDLP/EC. Under the leadership of Diane Eidelman, a group of volunteers was established to work with LPS to increase the number of electronic resources included in the FDLP/EC. Subsequently, another group of law librarians has been organized by Susanna Marlowe and Robert Richards of the American Association of Law libraries, with an emphasis on government electronic legal publications.

On May 24, 2001, Diane Eidelman and John Stevenson met with members of LPS staff in Washington to discuss the project. The purpose of the meeting was to plan the activities between the community volunteers and LPS staff, familiarize John and Diane with the online documents workflow in LPS and determine the tasks to be accomplished.

Working Group Functions (in order of priority)

The main function of community volunteers is to:

1. Identify online site of titles/products currently in the program in tangible format for possible migration to "e-only". Convey information to GPO.
2. Identify new titles/products that are not in the Program. Evaluate for inclusion in the FDLP/EC. Convey information to GPO.
3. Identify titles/products that are currently in the Program that have become fugitive. Determine status and availability. Convey information to GPO.

Project Scope

The project focus is to identify titles from agency websites that are not included in the FDLP in a tangible format. Candidate electronic publications should meet the criteria in SOD 71.

Working Group Resources

Resources available: (See Reference Materials below)

Information Needed from the Working Group:

The following information is needed in order to process titles/products for inclusion in the FDLP/EC. This is just the minimum information that is required. Additional research may be required, depending on the relationship between old titles and new manifestations that may make the processing of particular titles/products very complex.

1. Online sites for titles/products currently in the Program in tangible format for possible migration to "e-only".
1. Include title, class/item no.
2. URL
3. Should it be converted to online only based on SOD 71, essential titles or site evaluation criteria?
4. If contacted: agency contact name and email address
2. For new online titles/products that are not in the Program:
1. Include title, estimated class/item no.
2. URL
3. Determine type: Serial, monograph, monographic series, map, multipart, etc.
4. If contacted: agency contact name and email address
3. For products currently in the Program that have become fugitive:
   1. Include title, class/item no
   2. URL
   3. Is it a title change, related to previously distributed title?
   4. If contacted: agency contact name and email address

Reference Materials

1. Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP)
2. Classification Manual, 1993
3. Classification Policy for Online Materials: Draft May 2001
4. Essential Titles, January 2001
5. GPO Cataloging Guidelines, 4th ed., 2001   MS Word | PDF
6. GPO Circular Letter No. 456, December 8, 1999
7. List of Classes (latest paper edition: April, 2001 - online - updated monthly
8. Managing the FDLP Collection, October 1998
9. SOD 71, January 2001
10. USC, Title 44

A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.

Last updated: April 2, 2004
Page Name: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/ewgroup/index.html